In 1962, before The Beatles had scored their first major hit, producer George Martin gave them the upbeat pop tune “How Do You Do It,” written by Mitch Murray, believing it had strong commercial potential. Although the band recorded it, they were dissatisfied, feeling it didn’t reflect their style, energy, or musical identity, which leaned more toward rock ’n’ roll and their own compositions. John Lennon and Paul McCartney, determined to establish themselves as songwriters, convinced Martin to let them release “Love Me Do” instead. “How Do You Do It” was eventually handed to Gerry and the Pacemakers, who took it to number one in the UK in 1963 — proving Martin’s instincts right, even as The Beatles’ decision marked an early stand for artistic control over their music.
‘How Do You Do It’ – The Beatles
It’s hard to imagine anyone having a problem with any of The Beatles’ music when they started. The lovable mop-tops had everything going for them when playing the clubs in Liverpool, and even when they had original tunes like ‘Love Me Do’ under their belt, they were charming enough to stand alongside other rock classics. But no amount of doe-eyed stares from Paul McCartney would impress George Martin when they first walked into Abbey Road Studios.
Although the band had tried honing their craft on original material, Martin didn’t have faith that they had a hit on their hands initially, eventually telling them to record the song ‘How Do You Do It’. The song was catchy enough, but the Fabs knew that they would lose all credibility if they went in that direction, leading to them kicking up the tempo for the tune ‘Please Please Me’ before it became the version that we know today.
And listening to their demo of the tune, it’s clear that it doesn’t work for them, with John Lennon especially sounding far too saccharine than he really should. While Martin did get vindicated when Gerry and the Pacemakers made their own version of the tune a few months after the fact, this set the bar for what the Fab Four wanted. Either they were going to make music their way or they would happily go back to playing clubs.